Designing collaborative environments to enhance human interaction with physical surroundings.
The article introduces a new framework for designing interactive physical environments that mimic human-human interactions. The researchers build on existing communication theory and a pattern language to create a systematic approach called Direct Mapping, Conveyed Mapping, and Space Agency. Through a lab-based study, they validate this framework by designing a collaborative environment that enhances human interactions with their surroundings. This framework has implications for designing interactive, tangible environments that can better serve and engage us.